Dogs
by Emawa
Summary: Ted Lupin, 15 years old, is spending Christmas Holidays at Shell Cottage, where he hopes to spend time with his girlfriend, Victoire Weasley. Unfortunately, Victoire’s friends have other plans. [Oneshot, TeddyVictoire] Why? There simply aren't enough.


Dogs

* * *

Ted never did like dogs anyway.

* * *

Shell Cottage was beautiful. It was positioned on a currently snowy cliff over looking the sea waters. Fleur and Bill had decorated it grandly for Christmas; un-melting small ice sculptures lay in random places in the garden, the floors had been bewitched to look as though one was trotting on a path lined with snow. The room Ted had been given was small and cozy, overlooking the sea. Each day, Ted was treated with a mouthwatering meal prepared by Fleur that he ate ravenously.

Ted never took Victoire as a dog lover, but apparently she was. The Weasley family had two dogs, each one sleek and snowy. There names were Silos and Abiyram, and they adored Victoire almost as much as she did them.

Victoire wasn't the only one the dogs loved. Bill had been bitten by a werewolf when the full moon wasn't out. Because of this, he shared many traits Ted had; unusually sharp teeth, preferring his steak rare and bloody, had a strong sense of smell, and had a strange connection with dogs. When Bill told Silos and Abiyram to do something, they immediately understood and did what he asked. Bill must have instructed them to do as Fleur said as well, for they did as she pleased without question. There were only two people in Shell Cottage these dogs didn't like.

Victoire's owl, Nikko, detested Silos and Abiyram. The little owl always hooted in protest when they entered Victoire's room, and when in a bad mood would dive-bomb them. This often proved less-than-successful. Ted didn't like Silos and Abiyram either.

Whenever Ted and Victoire were alone in the garden and Ted was preparing to move in, the two dogs would come rushing out, barking gleefully, and Victoire would instantly kneel down and stroke them, losing all thoughts on the previous topic. And each time, the dogs would look at Ted, Silos' eyes clearly laughing, while Abiyram's were cool and collected, and were saying simply to him "Get out." They didn't approve of Victoire's relationship with him, it was easy to tell, and until they did, Ted was never going to be able to get near Victoire again.

Never.

Ted had tried to change that. Like Bill, he possessed a strange connection with dogs. He had asked Silos and Abiyram to let him near Victoire, but they just glared and barked at him, saying "never." Ted found himself spending more time alone with Nikko then with Victoire.

Luckily, the dogs were sick. It turned out that there were a few dangerous magical creatures that lived in the sea near Shell Cottage. Silos and Abiyram had had a bad encountered with one, Abiyram suffering a cut that required Bill to take him to a profession animal healer once a day. Silos had suffered too. His eyes had gone slightly bad, making it hard for him to see. And while Bill was taking Abiyram to his healer, Ted was able to whisk Victoire out of Silos' sight and have some time with her. Unfortunately this time wasn't long, and when Abiyram returned, the two dogs made sure to glare at him with extra intensity.

* * *

Ted's time at Shell Cottage was drawing to a close. He was spending Christmas vacation with the Weasley's, but Christmas Eve and Christmas day was to be spent with the Potters. 

Fleur and Victoire were showing Ted a path that led down to the seaside, a very beautiful walk he thought, and it would be even more enjoyable if Silos and Abiyram hadn't insisted on joining them. When the two dogs came bounding out of the door, jumping and barking happily, Victoire had just giggled and allowed them to walk with them.

They were nearing the water's edge, it was still a long drop to the water if you leapt off the cliff, but Victoire had told Ted about a shortcut she new to a small cove. Ted had given her one of his trademark grins in reply, and she had looked away blushing. Fleur had giggled at Ted. The dogs didn't seem to like this at all, they glared menacingly at Ted and he walked a little faster to get away from them. Victoire hurried to keep up with him.

Ted smiled at her, and tried to reach over and grab her hand, but a brush of sleek snowy fur against his leg told him Abiyram did not approve. Scowling, Ted's arm returned to his side and he made an extra effort to glare at Abiyram. Victoire noticed and raised her eyebrows slightly, but said nothing.

_Great, you stupid dogs! _Ted thought grumpily. _You've made me look stupid in front of my girlfriend! _The dogs seemed pleased by this, and as though they were trying to rub it in (which Ted was sure they were) they rubbed against Victoire's legs. Victoire giggled and stroked their backs. Ted was suddenly aware of how much he loved her laugh, and how jealous he was that it wasn't him making her giggle that way.

Suddenly Silos stopped, nose high in the air, sniffing rapidly. He moved towards the edge of the cliff and continued to sniff. Ted wondered what he smelled. He tried sniffing the air himself but smelled nothing unusual.

Silos took another step forward, and then another, and then another, and then Victoire shrieked as his paw made contact with nothing and he began to fall. It was a long drop and Ted was sure there were pointy rocks at the bottom, but Fleur and Victoire were already at the Cliffside, leaning down and looking for Silos among the water.

"There he is, there he is!" Victoire screamed, pointing down at the water. Ted kneeled down next to Fleur and looked for himself; sure enough, he saw Silos bobbing in the water. The dog couldn't see to swim, so was simply trying to walk vertically in the water, howling like a maniac as he did so.

"He's going to drown soon!" Fleur murmured faintly. She looked very pale. Victoire was digging in her pockets for her wand, but Ted knew the three had left them back at Shell Cottage. Victoire looked like she was about to burst into tears, and Abiyram was calling out to his brother franticly. Ted had one choice. If these dogs meant so much to Victoire, he had to save them.

Ted stood, backed up, and ran forward, thinking that, like getting onto Platform Nine and three-quarters, it would be better to take it in a run. He was wrong.

Falling very fast into freezing cold water didn't help at all, but he had to save Silos, for Victoire. He could hear he's girlfriend's cries now. "TEDDY!" The icy numbness of the water stabbed Ted like needles, but he had to find Silos, and fast.

He found him quickly. The dog was lashing out insanely, piercing barks slicing through the air. Ted tried swimming over to him, but his body didn't work properly. Instead he found himself crawling awkwardly through the waters. There was another shriek, unmistakably Victoire's, another howl, and another loud _SPLASH _as a second dog hit the water.

_Stupid dog, can't he think for once? _Ted thought angrily. He was at Silos' side now, and quickly Ted reached out and grabbed him around the waist. The dog cried even louder and flapped his arms insanely. Ted gripped him firmly and began to swim towards Abiyram, who was swimming towards Ted.

Ted reached out to grab him too, but Abiyram had other plans. He bite down on Ted's arm, Ted screamed in pain and batted him aside with his free arm. He then grabbed both dogs ferociously and kicked as fast as he could.

The water was carrying them towards a small cove, for which Ted was thankful. He kicked a little faster, anxious to get there for, as he just learned, dogs had very sharp claws, and he didn't like them slashing at his face.

The waves crashed him into the cove. Shivering and freezing cold, Ted released the dogs, which shook themselves violently, their cold water falling like rain onto Ted, who simply scowled. "Stupid dogs," he muttered, ringing out his shirt.

"Teddy!" Victoire screamed. Ted wasn't sure where she and Fleur had come from, but they were suddenly there. And instead of Victoire swooping in and telling him over and over in her honey-like voice "I was so afraid Teddy bear!" like he hoped she would, she was doubled over in laughter. "You're such a bad swimmer Teddy!"

Ted gawked as Victoire knelt down to pet Silos and Abiyram, who looked up admiringly at her presence. Finally, he gathered himself, and screamed. "I was out there risking my life for your stupid dogs and here you are, _laughing_?"

"Oh Teddy, it's not like your life was actually in danger," Victoire said sweetly. "I'd have been much more worried! But no, those waters are very warm; you wouldn't have died in them. I'm sorry Teddy," She added, for Ted looked as though he was about to explode. Victoire planted a gentle kissed on her cheek; Ted felt himself blushing furiously while Silos and Abiyram bared their teeth at him. She hugged him too, but immediately backed off, complaining about Ted being wet and cold.

"I 'zink Ted is 'ze 'wonderful 'zwimmer," Fleur giggled, patting Silos fondly on the head. Victoire just giggled.

* * *

20 minutes later, Ted was sitting in the garden at Shell Cottage, wrapped tightly in several blankets. Victoire was sitting next to him, flipping through a book. A few feet in front of them, Silos and Abiyram sat solemnly, like guards, still glaring at Ted. But there was also a look in their eyes, telling Ted "Go ahead." 

Ted grinned and mouthed 'thank you' to them, before reaching over and grabbing Victoire's hand. Victoire glanced at him and smiled before returning to her book. The dogs tensed, but there self-control remained dominant and they didn't move.

It was their way of thanking Ted for saving them. But, if Ted moved in to close, they were prepared to tear his to shreds. Ted was tempted to reach over and kissed Victoire while he had the chance.

But then again, he didn't think he'd push it.

* * *

**Author's Notes: **A cute little one-shot towards Ted and Victoire, based on a true story. Our friend's blind dog fell in our pool, our friend dived in after it, and the other dog dived in after him. He saved them both. 


End file.
